We’re all aware of the ongoing erosion of linear audiences on traditional TV and the pressure it’s placing on campaign delivery, it’s not news. So, why, in an era when our target consumers are accessing the same content across multiple platforms and devices, are campaigns still beholden to two separate lines on a media plan?

With old models of advertising dying fast, this is something we’ve been thinking about a lot at Hearts & Science over the past year. We know that traditional linear TV still has a clear and present audience and remains the home of strong mass reach. But the proliferation of new streaming platforms from free-to-air to subscription services is re-shaping the viewing experience. This shift in viewing habits is also offering great opportunities for brands to increase the reach and effectiveness of campaigns.

The traditional one brief, two response buying approach for linear and digital is not fit for purpose for the realities of the multi-channel, omni-device consumer of today.  With launch and uptake of VOZ, there will be a better platform for media buyers to make intelligent trading decisions.

But if we are to truly unlock the potential of intelligent video, we need to overcome barriers like cross-screen measurement and shifting pricing principles. We need to build smart processes that bridge the gap between how we buy media and how people consume it, and we need to be more effective at a fairer price for advertisers.  

A novel experiment in video buying

Earlier this year, we were executing a brief from Hyundai for the all-new Palisade. We developed strong creative, which traditionally would have lived primarily on linear TV. Usually, we would have rolled this out with two separate line items and tried to make it work. But, in the back of our minds, we really wanted to see if there was a better way to deliver those campaign goals and impressions in totality across all media.

There were two main drivers for doing this. Beyond the macro shift in TV viewership the Covid-19 pandemic has put increasing pressure on delivery across linear. Costs are rising, but deliverability is falling. So rather than sitting there and waiting for those audiences and chasing results, we said “what if we could trial a campaign that offers seamless integration across both digital and linear?” We began to seek a media partner for this campaign who would allow us to trade in one unified way.

Premium sport was the obvious environment for the campaign, and Kayo and Foxtel soon emerged as the right partner. We knew its linear platform had a clearly defined audience, and as the number one sports streaming service in Australia, Kayo provides the largest reach for a digital sports platform. Foxtel Media is also known in market for its progressive approach to innovation, and Nev Hasan and the team were willing to listen to us, but also were excited to work with us to make it possible.

Joining the dots between linear and digital video = double digit audience gains

We set out with Foxtel Media with a simple goal: to trade and assess the Hyundai Palisade campaign as a single video buy. By streamlining processes on both sides, and by building a live platform for us to buy against that unified both ads on the Foxtel platform and on Kayo, we were able to roll out a successful campaign.

We were also able to track the impact of the campaign to compare it to the traditional, disjointed approach. The results speak for themselves. We achieved an 11 per cent increase in audience, and a 20 per cent uplift in incremental audience for the key demographic of people aged 24- 54. Most importantly of all, we did this while maintaining CPM rate across digital and linear platforms.

These results stand out even more considering the pressure that linear has been under to deliver this year.

What this experiment has proven is that by approaching digital and linear not as two siloed channels, but as one multi-channel platform, it is possible to have a big impact with the same financial investment.

Foxtel Media are also benefiting from this experience, and has created a new experimentation platform, FOXTEST, that will help more brands and agencies roll out new concepts and ideas in advertising.

This approach to innovation doesn’t just reflect the reality of how people are consuming media today, it also shines a light into the potential future for the TV ad. No longer separated from digital by an invisible wall, but once again back at the heart of effective campaigns across every platform. That is the future for intelligent video.